Non-Communicable Diseases

An Invisible Illness

From the Students of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: A Photo Essay

How often have you been told to get over it, suck it up, sleep it off, or man up when you have showed emotional distress or mental stress? How often have you said any of these words to someone else?

When we get bombarded with these messages from the time we are children, we quickly learn that expressing any kind of mental or emotional difficulty is a sign of weakness. This is especially crucial in adolescence, during which we need to develop good mental health habits that will help us thrive and lead fulfilling lives as adults.

A Global Burden

Just Bad Behaviour?

Crazy. Defiant. Weak. Lazy. These are just a few words ascribed to individuals, especially adolescents, suffering from mental health. Because of stigma, we dismiss mental health as simply "bad behaviour" instead of recognising it as a disease that deserves awareness and understanding.

In reality, mental health is as prevalent across the globe as the stigma that surrounds it – and it's one of the largest and fastest-growing categories of disease worldwide. Adolescents are particularly susceptible as they cope with changes in their lives and identities. Here are some quick facts:

Meet Walrus

Fighting Stigma One School at a Time

Raise awareness. Create understanding. Build resilience.

Walrus is an ed-tech platform that aims to achieve the above mental health goals. We do this through three digital learning modules, each of which ends in an online challenge. And best of all, it launches with a student competition!

Our name is phonetically derived from "waras" in Malay, which translates to "good mental health." Read on for what the Walrus journey looks like.

The Walrus Journey

Ready, Set, Go!

We've got big plans for the future! Here is our vision for the pilot, launch and roadmap:

Join the Fight

"No one would feel embarrassed about seeking help for a child if they broke their arm – and we really should be equally ready to support a child coping with emotional difficulties."

– Kate Middleton

Mental Health Matters

The fight for mental health starts with fighting stigma, and fighting stigma starts with you and us. Take a picture with YOUR message to the young people suffering from mental health worldwide, and join us in saying loud and clear: #mentalhealthmatters!